PFOS

The New York State Department of Health announced Wednesday that results of the Newburgh PFOS blood testing program have been mailed to the first 370 people who were tested. State health officials also are expanding the program.

New York state environmental and health officials held a public meeting Monday night in Washingtonville in Orange County. They delivered updates on well testing in an area touched by the PFOS contamination believed to be a result of firefighting foam used at the Stewart Air National Guard base and airport.

US Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney have called on the Defense Department to immediately order the Air National Guard to install carbon filtration units at the site of PFOS contamination at the Stewart Airport Air Guard base.

Three congressional lawmakers from New York are calling on the U.S. Department of Defense to install filtration units immediately at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh to stop the spread of PFOS-contaminated water.

Four months following news of PFOA water contamination in Hoosick Falls in upstate New York, a Hudson Valley city faced a water crisis of its own. WAMC’s Hudson Valley Bureau Chief Allison Dunne takes a look back at the PFOS contamination issue in Newburgh that came to light in the early spring.

The Village of Hoosick Falls has postponed a meeting scheduled for today where officials were set to consider a settlement offer by the companies deemed responsible for the contamination of local water supplies. WAMC’s Southern Adirondack Bureau Chief Lucas Willard reports on the latest developments in one of the biggest stories of 2016 — and looks back on how we got here.

City of Newburgh officials held their fourth public meeting Monday night on PFOS water contamination and New York state’s blood testing program. Some audience members voiced concern about the information not getting out to enough people. Officials say they will try other approaches, including through churches.

The meeting with city, state and federal officials was held in Baptist Temple Church, where Byron Williams is pastor.

After learning in May of PFOS drinking water contamination, the New York state Department of Health began a blood testing program this month in Newburgh. And a Hudson Valley congressman is among those who have had their blood drawn.

New York state health officials have been notifying New Windsor residents of the results of private well testing in the vicinity of Stewart Air National Guard base. The state declared the base a Superfund site in August after identifying it as a source of PFOS contamination in the City of Newburgh’s drinking water supply.

About one month after the New York State Department of Health’s formal announcement of a PFOS blood testing program for Newburgh, state, federal and local officials were on hand during a public meeting Tuesday night to offer more details and answer questions.

New York Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney has introduced two pieces of legislation in response to the PFOS water contamination in Newburgh. The bills come shortly after the state Department of Health announced a PFOS blood-testing program for Newburgh.

The formal announcement of a blood testing program in Newburgh garnered the most attention during a public meeting Monday concerning an update on the PFOS water contamination issue. However, there were a few developments on the environmental side.

A public meeting last night concerning an update on the PFOS water contamination issue in Newburgh brought a formal announcement about the launch of a blood testing program for the city. But with it came more questions and concerns.

Many more seats were filled in the auditorium at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh than at the first such public forum in June. Local, state and federal officials first delivered a recap of what has been done to address PFOS contamination and residents grew impatient, wanting to hear more about a blood testing program.

The New York state Department of Health has begun sampling private wells in the vicinity of Stewart Air National Guard base, which the state Department of Environmental Conservation declared a superfund site in August.

The testing of Washington Lake and Silver Stream near the Stewart Airport Air National Guard base has given the state Department of Environmental Conservation enough proof to declare the area a Superfund site because of PFOS contamination, believed to have originated from the Guard base.

WAMC News has learned that New York state has declared Stewart Air National Guard Base in Orange County a Superfund site. The classification comes some three months after the public learned of PFOS contamination in the main source of drinking water for Newburgh.

The New York state Department of Environmental Conservation’s declaration comes after some three months of investigations. Martin Brand is DEC acting Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Remediation and Materials.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer says he will introduce legislation that would require the Air Force to identify the source of water contamination in Newburgh and pay to clean it up if a base nearby is responsible.

After the public learned in May of PFOS contamination in Newburgh’s main drinking water supply, there were calls to provide blood testing for residents. Those calls continue. In addition, the state continues to investigate sources of contamination while prepping a new filtration system.

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin released the results of testing for perfluorinated compounds in groundwater at two of 11 testing sites in the state. While both locations show the believed to be carcinogenic chemicals present in groundwater wells, there is also minimal concern that drinking water wells are being contaminated.